Flip-top package



W. W. MCCAULEY FLIP-TOP PACKAGE Filed Feb. ll, 1958 July 12, 1960 2,944,726 FLIP-Tor' PACKAG Wayne WL McCauley, 110 Cumberland St., Caldwell, Ohio 'y Filereb,11,19ss,ser.N0.714,s13

` z claims. (ci. 229-44) Y This-invention relates to cartons, containers, or equivalent devices, generally. tion has reference to a container having a novel wall and lid construction, with the linvention embracing the formation of wall-forming blanks in a particular, novel manner designed to improve the construction off the container over that of other containers, the manufacture of which involves a cos-t as high as or higher than that of the present invention.

Another object is to provide, in the particular formation of the blanks, an arrangement wherein the blank when folded and interitted, will provide a highly attractive, inexpensive, yet strong carton or package.

Another object of importance is to incorporate, in the construction of the blanks, means dening a flip-top lid improved over lids previously devised for thesame or a similar purpose as the present invention. Y

Other objects will appear from the following descrip r tion, the claims appended thereto, andV from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the Several views, and wherein:

Al-Tigure l is a perspective view of a container according to the present invention, with lthe lid closed;

Figure 2 is a view like Figure l in which the lid has been flipped to an open position;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view throughk the container, substantially on line 3--3 of Figure jl;V

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view substantially on line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a plan view of a blank used in forming vthe invention; Y

Figure 6 is a plan view of'a blank usedv in a modified construction; and

Figure 7 is a plan view of a liner used in either of the.

forms shown in Figures 5 and 6.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the invention is illustrated applied to a crush-proof cigarette package and when it is so applied is designed to produce particularly easy operation in that the dlid can be flipped open with one hand with maximum ease, simply yby holding thev package in the right or left hand and using the forefinger to lift the lid for exposing the cigarettes.

However,` it will be understood that the invention can be applied to. any of various containers, both. small and large, and could b e usedin .containers hold-ing various cereals, granular soaps or detergents, etc. Accordingly, it is intended that so far as permitted by the scope ofthe appended claims, the invention is to be considered to be applicable to containers for any of a largevariety of products, and is not to be limited by the illustration thereof wherein it is applied purely by way of example to Ia cigarette package.

In any event, the'container"includesvtwo pieces of foldable material, suchV as cardboard or stiff paper.` `A main piece has been shown in blank in Figure'S land constitutes the outer or body portionofthe container. In Figure 7 thereis shown aliner, which constitutes vthe second piece of materiahiandwhichmay bey made. of athinner. material fr 2 Y if` desired.` Of course,:although shown vin theillustratedlcigarette package, itis tobe understood thatsuch an insert may 'or may not be used,

' according to the desires of theparticular manufacturer,

In Ithegillustrated example, the main piece in blank in-` cludes a rectangular, relativelynarrow bottomfpanel/12 integral along opposite vside edges thereof with upstandingzsilev panels 14,16 separated frombottom panel-12 by -fold lines 1 8,V 2.0. Alsointegral with panels 14, 16,.,l along the back edges thereof areback flaps 22, 24 -respec v tively connected to their associated panels along fold 115 More particularly, the invenilaps 50,v 5-2 connectedto the panels 14, 16 respectively ttlap40 being faced tothe outside. Ear 46,-is folded up!A wardlyl and theear'46 and the aps v38, 40 are adhesivelyy lines 26, Z8.. A small b-ack flap or ear 30 is connected to the back edge of bottom panel '12 along a fold line and is wholly separated from flaps ZZ, Z4 by slits 36 exf tendingat opposite sides of the ear 30.

Integral with the panels 14, y1-6, along the forward edges -thereof, are front aps 38, 40 connected to the respective side .panels along lines 42, 44. A front ear or ap 46 is similarly connected-to the forward edge of bottom wall 12, along a fold line 48, and is separated from the aps 38, 40 by slits 49.

lntegrallyconnected to the side panels 14, 16-are top along fold lines 54, 56. A back flap 58 is connected to the top ilapSZ, along a fold line 6 0 and is separated from flap 24 by aV slit 62.

.integrally connected to the forward edge ofitop ilap 50 l isan ear.64,- connected to ilap 50 along a transverse fold line 66. Parallel to linek 6 6 ,is a second foldy line '68...

dividing ear 64 into two portions 69,71.

' .Extending downwardly from the fold lines panel 14 merges into a forwardly declining extension slit 72 which is inclined slightly from the vertical, and.which, at the fold line 42, ymergesinto a transverse slit 74 closely; spaced .from aslit ,'76 that divides ears V64'iirofn't flap 38 andthat definesA a laterally extending tongue 78 at the upper end of theft-ap 38.

`A sin so perpendicular tonne seis similarly formedinj the panel 16, merging into a forwardly declining slit 82. which Vin turn merges into a transverse slit 84, thus dening I a lateral'tongue 86 extending oppositely to the tongue'78.

AThis completes the construction of the maink piece of the container. Referring now to Figure 7, the auxiliary piece or liner 88 fis substantially smaller and comprises merely identical rectangular panels 9'0 at opposite sides of a front panel 9 2! o f narrow width, the panels 90 being separated from the panel 92 by fold lines 94.

At the upper end of the pan ll 92, there is'formed a v dceprecess 96' whichis exposed when the lid is flipped upwardly, asy clearly shown in'Figure 2.

In assembly of the container it will be understood that adhesive is applied to all portions that are in `face-to-face contact and that are to remain permanently connected.

This is considered suiiciently obvious as not to require special illustration.

fThus, in form-ing the body of the container, panels 14,A

16 are folded upwardly along lines 18, 20. Back' flaps.

22,14 are folded along lines 26, 28 into overlapping relation, with lear 30 beingfolded upwardly inside the con-V tainer (Figure 3). Flaps Z2, Z4, 30 are adhesively Top aps 50,52 are folded linto overlapping relation ,shown in Figure 3 and adhesively secured to the flap 22.

Flaps 38, 40 are folded into overlapping relation Vwith connected.

no foil lining insertis 54,56, .in `panels.14, 16 are small, vertical slits. The` slot 70 of the folded ear 64; VOne folds the tongue 86 along a fold correspondingrto the fold `line $7V so that tongues 73, 86.

are in Vsuperposed or overlapping relation.

@ne nowl folds vthe earV 64-v intoernbracing relation to.

thetongues 78, 86, witlrthe'portion 64 being faced` outwardly and portion 69being faced inwardly of thecontainer as shown-in Figure 3. The ear64 is adhcsively connected to the superposed'tongues '78, 86.

This denes a ip-top lid generally designated at 98 infFig'ures l and 2. This flips upwardly, being hinged on a fold line 100 extending transversely/ofthe top wall of-the container. the forward edge portions of the aps Sti, '52, that is, the portions of these flaps disposed forwardly vof the slits 79,A 80. The lid is further defined by the tongues 78, 86, the portionsV of material of the side panels 14, 16 disposed immediately above the inclined extension slits 72,82, the tongues 78, 36 and the folded ear 6 4.

The liner, of course, is folded into the cross-sectional shape shown to particular advantage in Figure 4 along lines 94 and is disposed Within the container. The upper portion of the liner is thus partially exposed when the lid is open, providing full protection for the cigarettes or other articles. The deep recess 96, is, of course, an important feature, in that it permits the user to remove thek rst few cigarettes with ease. Thereafter, as the cigarettes become looser in the package, the ,remaining cigarettes can of ,course be removed without difficulty.

lIn Figure 6 there is shown a modified construction for the main piece, generally designated -at 102. This differs.'

from the Figure 5 construction in that it is for a package designed to be filled 4from the bottom or side. The con-v struction of the main piece shown in Figure 5, on the other hand, is designedY to be filled fromthe top or side.

The basic principles of the invention remain, of course, unchanged, and both formsy have particular advantages` that may be preferred by a manufacturer. The formV shown in yFigure 6 is believed more or less self-explanatory, and the components analogous to corresponding components of the Figure 5 construction have been lgiven the same reference numeral, with the `addition of an identifying reference letter a. ln this arrangement, the bottom wall is defined by the flaps Sila, 52a, rather than the top wall, with the top wall 12a thus beingof single thickness rather than of double thickness as in the first tongues 78a, 86a, embraced by and adhesively secured to the foldedportions 69a, 71a of an ear 64a.Y

In both forms of the invention, there is the common characteristic of the invention wherein the flip-top lid is strongly reinforced, particularly along its front. It is at this particular point at whichthepressure is exerted by the user, as Vhe presses upon the lid with the thumb for the purpose of swinging the same upwardly. Accordingly, it is highly desirable that strong reinforcement be here provided. This isV achieved in the present invention, even though a relatively thin, inexpensive material is employed. Further, the lid is swiftly and easily formed by `folding the blank along `the lines indicated.

In the first form of the invention, the entire top Wall,

including the lid-defining` portion thereof, is of doubleV thickness. The front part of the lid is of quadruple thickness, of course, providing strong reinforcement at this critical location. K would Ibe easier to fill and it would-have a double thickness 'of material at its bottom.

The lid 95, of course, is dened by.`

The -second form of the invention f I 4 Still further, the container is of highly simplified design, as compared to containers previouslyvdevisedto be folded from blanks in a somewhat similar manner to that shown.

In addition, the container is particularly designed to permit the same to Ihe lled by the use of container-filling machinery without requiring modification or redesign of said machinery. i

lt is to lbe further noted that the particular cut or slit at each side of the vlid'locates the side walls of the lid in Contact with the outer surfaces of the liner even when the lid is open, at locations designated at 104` in Figure 2. Therefore, this provides a guide that causes the sides of the lid to slide over the-inner liner for better closing, and in addition provides more friction to hold the lid closed.

lt is believed apparent that the invention Iis not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it maybe utilized for any purpose to which it may bc suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specic construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intendedto be illustrative of the principles, it being considered that vthe invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

v What is claimed is:

l. In a carton of the folded blank type, a hollow, rectangular body portion that includesa pair of end panels forming a top and bottom, respectively, of the body portion, a pair of side panels integrally connected to and extending betwcen opposite side edges of the end panels,

and front and back panels integrally connected to the side panels and extending between the front and back edges, respectively, Aof the end panels, the front panel comprising a pair of superposed front flaps having registering Vtransverse slits extending the full distance thereacross kac'tjacent one of the end panels, the material of each-Hap vthat lies between its slit and said one end panel cornwith the respective tongues and comprising side cover v portions, said one end panel having a fold line extending thereacross between said inner ends of the second slits,

the material of said one end panel between the fold line and the front panel constituting a main cover portion'integral with said side cover portions, said main cover portion including an integral, forwardly projecting ear'extending the full distance thereacross and folded upon itself in embracing relation to thesuperposed tongues.

2. In a carton of the folded blank type, a construction as in claim 1 vwherein said ear Vis of rectangular configuration and is bisected by a fold line extending transversely thereof, the ear being folded along said line thereof into said embracing relation to the tongues,the fold line of the ear dividing the same into side-by-side fold portions each of which is identical in area and configuration to and is .registered with the superposed tongues.

References Cited in thel ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 466,479 Winchester Ian. 5, 1892. 1,907,067 Hartmann May 2, 1933 2,315,947 Edmonson Apr. 6, 1943' 2,339,656 Shina, J`an.'18,1944 v 2,313,977y Scherer/ Apr. 17,1945 

